Coutin, Estrada take another shot at century mark
There has already been one significant scoring achievement in area girls' soccer this week.
Hart of Newhall's Sarina Coutin and Desert Christian of Lancaster's Robyn Estrada will take aim at another today.
After Highland of Palmdale junior Samantha Johnson set the program's all-time scoring record with her 72nd and 73rd career goals Thursday in the Bulldogs' 4-0 Golden League victory over Littlerock, Coutin and Estrada will both attempt to net career goal No. 100.
Coutin, who has 99 goals in 101 career matches, will try to solve the Foothill League's toughest defense when Hart -- the top-ranked team in Southern Section Div. II -- plays at No. 6 Saugus at 3:15 p.m. today.
Saugus (13-2-3, 3-1-1) has only surrendered three goals in league play, all coming Jan. 8 against Hart (14-2-4, 3-0-2). Coutin, a Cal State-Bakersfield-bound forward, scored an insurance goal late in the match against the Centurions after fellow senior Lindsay Mills help the Indians rally from an early deficit with her first two goals of the season.
Coutin, who has scored 21 times this season, was denied the milestone goal Tuesday in a 1-1 tie at Canyon of Canyon Country (13-4-3, 3-1-1), although she did assist on Mills' tying score in the 32nd minute.
Hart is unbeaten in its past 10 league matches and hasn't lost to Saugus since a 6-2 setback in Feb. 2006.
Estrada, a four-year starter, has been stuck on 97 career goals for more than a week after recording a hat trick Jan. 17 in a 5-1 High Desert League victory at Bishop Union. She has 21 goals this season after leading the Southern Section last year with 40.
Desert Christian (14-0-1, 7-0), the top-ranked team in Div. VI, is scheduled to play Desert of Edwards Air Force Base at 3 p.m. today at the Lancaster National Soccer Center. But the status of the match is questionable because of the recent inclement weather in the Antelope Valley.
Assistant coach Curtis Lewis said the Knights, who boast a 33-match unbeaten streak, practiced Thursday afternoon at the Soccer Center, but rain began to fall at a much more rapid rate as the evening progressed, leaving doubt as to whether the grass fields will be deemed playable this afternoon.
If today's contest is postponed, Estrada will have plenty opportunities to reach the 100-goal plateau next week, as Desert Christian is scheduled to play home matches in three consecutive days -- beginning Tuesday -- against Kern Valley of Lake Isabella, Mammoth and Mojave.
Coutin and Estrada are both attempting to become the first local girls' soccer player to score 100 career goals since Jessica Gordon did so for Village Christian of Sun Valley. Gordon (2002-06) ranks second in area history with 130 career goals.